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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28165299">Nests</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/What_we_are/pseuds/What_we_are'>What_we_are</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Breaking Bad</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:53:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,788</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28165299</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/What_we_are/pseuds/What_we_are</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Mike helps Jesse evade the police and heal from his trauma.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mike Ehrmantraut &amp; Jesse Pinkman</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Blue Christmeth 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Nests</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The "cabin," as Ed called it, was actually a fancy house. It had more amenities than Mike’s Albuquerque house had, like a hot tub and a trash compactor . . .  of all the stupid things for Ed to spend his money on . . . a machine that smashed garbage. The cabin came already decorated, or Ed had it decorated, or something. The furnishings were white. The exposed beams were the color of honey. There were two bedrooms plus a loft over half of the A-frame living room. </p><p>Mike set his coffee cup on the quartz countertop and looked out at the driveway and all the spring buds on the aspens. He had planted tulip bulbs, but the squirrels had dug them up and ate them. The ones that they had missed, the deer had eaten down to nubs. Mike smiled. It was the kind of thing he imagined the distant neighbors would gripe about, but he didn't mind learning a lesson. The forest belonged to the critters and he was just visiting. </p><p>“Coffeemaker broken?” Ed called out with dry sarcasm.</p><p>“Hold your goddamn horses,” Mike answered just as dryly. He scratched his beard. He'd grown it as much out of laziness as an effort to go incognito. The chances of being recognized in a Colorado supermarket were slim though. </p><p>Mike brought the two mugs out to the living room. They sipped and looked out at the hills of brown and green trees. The entire East wall was window. There was furniture on the big deck, but it was too cold that morning to be sitting around outside.</p><p>“I gotta tell you something,” Ed started to say.</p><p>Mike’s face fell. “Is it Kaylee?”</p><p>“No. Nothing like that. Jesse Pinkman’s a wanted man.”</p><p>“He's alive?” Mike asked in quiet disbelief.</p><p>----</p><p>Jesse was alarmingly easy to find. Mike had thought ahead and printed one of his own wanted posters to slip under the door of Wendy's motel room. </p><p>He knocked on the flimsy door.</p><p>There was a shuffling inside and a woman's voice said, “Go away.”</p><p>Mike answered, “Look under the door. Ask him if you should trust me.”</p><p>The corner of paper on his side of the door disappeared and all was quiet.</p><p>Wendy came back and undid the deadbolt. She opened the door as far as the little chain would allow. </p><p>“He says to ask you who makes better coffee: Layola's or Wafflehouse?”</p><p>“Gale.”</p><p>Wendy undid the door chain and opened the door just long enough for Mike to slip in.</p><p>There were food containers and drug paraphernalia around the room. </p><p>Wendy said, “He's in the bathtub. He's real jumpy.”</p><p>Mike nodded and stayed rooted a couple steps in from the door.</p><p>“Jesse, it’s me, Mike. I want to help you leave town. I know you still have your wits about you, because you ditched the car.”</p><p>A shaky voice answered, “I can’t come out, but you can come in.”</p><p>Mike avoided stepping on a Chinese food container and made his way into the bathroom. Wendy hung back.</p><p>Jesse smelled terrible. He was lying fully-clothed in the dry bathtub, clutching a gun to his chest. He had scraggly hair and a beard to match. Scars crisscrossed his face.</p><p>“It was easy to find me huh?” Jesse asked.</p><p>“She’s a ‘known associate.’”</p><p>“I should move. I know.”</p><p>“Yeah you should. I have a clean car and a safe house in Colorado.”</p><p>Jesse actually looked at Mike. “Mr. White didn't kill you then.”</p><p>“We can talk about it in the car,” Mike answered patiently.</p><p>“I like it in here.”</p><p>“I understand."</p><p>“Wendy was gonna wash my hair. Do we have time for that?</p><p>Mike knew that they absolutely did not, but he said, “Sure.”</p><p>Mike left the bathroom and Wendy went in.</p><p>She said, “He needs new clothes and ointment.”</p><p>Inwardly, Mike grimaced. He’d kill those sons of bitches if they weren’t already dead. “Neosporin work?” </p><p>Wendy gave a nod and turned her attention to Jesse. </p><p>Jesse started undressing and Mike looked away. Just from the glimpse he got of torso it looked really bad.</p><p>“You poor baby,” Wendy said. “Jesus. Let’s get these off of you and get the water going.” </p><p>Jesse asked Mike, “Can you get a beard trimer, too? And food?”</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>Wendy came to lock the motel door behind Mike. Their eyes met but there was nothing to say.</p><p>Mike surveyed the parking lot at a glance. No signs of trouble. </p><p>He rushed at the store. He got the more expensive of the beard trimmers and more first aid stuff than he hoped they needed. He got medium and small nondescript men's clothes, avoiding cargo pants and anything black or blue. The kid used to wear huge flashy clothes. God, that was a crack up. Mike refocused. He put all kinds of junk food and canned goods in the cart as well, and paid with cash. </p><p>----</p><p>When Mike hit the head at Wendy’s, he noticed that the remaining bit of water in the tub had a fast food drink cup floating in it. </p><p>She’d washed his hair like you would for a baby, he realized. She had poured cups of water over him. </p><p>Mike lost it a little. He wiped his eyes and pulled himself together. He had to admit Jesse looked better with the new clothes and clean hair.</p><p>He looked away while Jesse and Wendy hugged their goodbyes. </p><p>From the way Jesse had been clinging to Wendy, Mike thought he might have to hold his hand to get him outside and into the car, but Jesse walked alright on his own. He winced his way down the stairs and into the back of Mike’s SUV. Jesse immediately lay down on the back seat. </p><p>“Is this okay?” Jesse asked.</p><p>Mike spoke quietly, “What kind of drugs have you taken lately?”</p><p>“Just pot. Just to help even things out. I have Benzos in my pocket too.”</p><p>Mike patted Jesse’s feet. “Okay. Take a load off. Nothing to worry about.”</p><p>Mike turned on his police scanner at low volume and headed out of the Crystal Palace parking lot. </p><p>He switched license plates once they were out in the middle of nowhere. </p><p>Jesse woke up and took the opportunity to take a piss in the desert and stretch his arms.</p><p>“You need anything?” Mike asked, “There’s food and drinks in the back there.”</p><p>“Maybe. I ate a lot at Wendy’s place, but I’m still hungry.”</p><p>“There's food back there. I don’t have any marijuana, but I could arrange for Ed to get you some.”</p><p>Jesse was doing shoulder circles. “Who’s Ed.”</p><p>“The Vacuum guy.”</p><p>“You know him?”</p><p>“Yep,” Mike answered. “We gotta get back on the road.”</p><p>The roads were clear and Mike felt relatively good. The sun was shining like always.</p><p>After Jesse ate a grocery bag full of chips, candy and nuts, he drank a Coke and fell back asleep. </p><p>----</p><p>They finally pulled up to the modern A-frame log cabin. Jesse woke when the car stopped. </p><p>“Holy shit,” he said. “This is the place?” </p><p>“It will be a good calm place for you to get your bearings. Come on, lets carry in some of this crap,” Mike said gently. </p><p>Ed came out. “Hello, I’m Ed.”</p><p>Jesse said, “Jesse,” but he didn’t put his hand out to shake. “Is this your house?”</p><p>“It is.”</p><p>“Wow it’s  . . . impressive.” </p><p>Mike interjected, “Let’s go on in and get you settled.” </p><p>Once inside, Ed said to Jesse, “There’s a loft for you if you like a nice big bed, or the couch if you’re afraid of heights. Or unsteady on your feet.”</p><p>Jesse looked like he wasn’t taking in the information. Mike took the stuff out of his hands and escorted him to the couch. Jesse sat down and started absentmindedly touching one of the furry, white, throw pillows. </p><p>Mike smiled.</p><p>Jesse whispered, “Am I doing something wrong?”</p><p>“No I just didn’t ever notice those pillows.” Louder towards Ed in the kitchen he said, “Your decorations are ridiculous.”</p><p>Ed came and sat down. “You’re jealous.”</p><p>Jesse sat forward all of the sudden. “I didn’t bleed through did I?”</p><p>“No.” Mike answered. “Do you want me to check the bandages on your back?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Jesse said, “please.” </p><p>As they left the room, Jesse looked Ed in the eye very briefly. “Thank you.”</p><p>----</p><p>Mike could handle his own wounds fine, and he had no problem inflicting them on other people, but seeing the kid all bashed and whipped turned his stomach. He didn’t want to disturb any scabs so he just checked under the bandages and put more ointment on top of what Wendy had put. To his eye, it looked like they’d taken a piece of scrap metal to him. The facial scars were pretty well healed. </p><p>“Everything I can see here is healing,” Mike told Jesse. “I taped bandages back on, so you shouldn’t bleed through, but if you do, I’ll buy Ed a new couch. No big deal.”</p><p>“I’ll wear a sweatshirt.”</p><p>“Okay. That works."</p><p> </p><p>----</p><p> </p><p>Ed said his “good nights” and Mike sat down with a spy novel. Jesse tentatively went up the ladder to the loft.</p><p>Mike said, “If that hurts. You can have the guestroom and I’ll sleep on the couch.”</p><p>Jesse kept climbing slowly. </p><p>When he didn’t come back down after an hour, Mike peeked up at him. Jesse was sleeping on the white futon. Mike crawled over and put a blanket on him. The ceiling in the loft was four foot high at the peak. Mike hoped Jesse wouldn’t have a panic attack and bash his head.   </p><p> </p><p>----</p><p> </p><p>The next day Ed left to take care of business. Mike coaxed Jesse out of his loft and onto the back deck. It was the same amazing view from either location, but Mike thought the fresh air would help the kid’s spirits. </p><p>“You wanna go for a hike?”</p><p>“No. I just want to rest.”</p><p> </p><p>----</p><p> </p><p>The next day, Mike convinced Jesse to take a walk with him. They went up the driveway half a mile before Jesse had to lay down in the pine needles and cry.</p><p>“Are they all dead, Jesse? Cause I will hunt them down."</p><p>"No. They're all dead."</p><p>----</p><p>One day they played Stratego ten times, and Mike won every time.</p><p>Jesse sometimes opened one of Ed's paperbacks, but he put them down pretty quick. </p><p>Mike opened his crossword book one day to find a deer rendered in ball point pen.  </p><p>----</p><p> </p><p>Ed knocked before coming into his own cabin. </p><p>“Hello?" he called out in his gruff but quiet way. "I’ve got whiskey.”</p><p>Jesse came down the loft ladder and greeted him, “Hi, Ed. How are you?”</p><p>“Wonderful, and how ‘bout yourself?”</p><p>“A little better.”</p><p>“Well okay then. Where’s that old man with the ridiculous beard?”</p><p>Mike came in from the deck just then and said to Jesse, “You let this Old Fart in?”</p><p>Ed set the liquor bottle on the counter and they shook hands with a half hug. “You look terrible,” Ed told Mike. “There’s no reason for it. You barely go out.”</p><p>“I like it. I shaved for fifty years. I’m tired.”</p><p>“You’re tired. I’m the one actually working, but you’re tired.” </p><p>Jesse looked at the bottle of Jack Daniels. </p><p>Mike explained, “Ed doesn’t go in for good liquor. He gets whatever’s on sale.”</p><p>“But you’re rich,” Jesse said.</p><p>Ed shrugged. “You’ve been a millionaire. Did you buy nice things?” Ed knew full well that Jesse had thrown it out the window, literally. </p><p>Mike picked up the bottle. “It’s gotta be five o’clock somewhere. May I?”</p><p>Ed tilted his head. “Be my guest.” </p><p>Mike poured a little in the mug he’d used for coffee and took a sip. He could tell that Jesse enjoyed the banter between him and Ed. Having company got him looking more at ease, more like a smile might be coming. </p><p>Ed asked, “What’s on for supper?” as he looked in the fridge. </p><p>Mike had gone shopping a week ago, but most of that stuff was gone and they were living out of the chest freezer and pantry again. </p><p>“Got any steaks?” Ed asked. “What’s with all the hotdogs?”</p><p>Mike answered, “The kid put them on the list.”</p><p>“Well, this millionaire,” Ed said, referring to himself, “isn’t having a boiled hot dog for dinner. I got firewood out back. Let’s make a campfire.”  </p><p>The fire spot was down a short path that started near the back deck, but the steepness of the terrain and height of the trees made it impossible to see from up there. They climbed down timber steps, and then walked to the left on a footpath. </p><p>In between four big log rounds was a small fire circle made of rocks. Mike sat on one of the rounds. Ed set his plastic bags on another one. </p><p>“Have you made a fire before, Jesse?” Ed asked.</p><p>Jesse admitted, “Not really, I just use a lot of lighter fluid. I got kicked out of Boy Scouts before we got to that.”</p><p>“Why’d you get kicked out?” </p><p>“Smoking.”</p><p>Ed explained, “We need kindling and twigs. We have the paper and wood right here.”</p><p>Jesse walked a few paces away and picked up a fallen aspen branch, then another. He set down the kindling he’d collected and said to both of them, “Jack Welker’s money is at a lake. I’m not sure which one. It’s in a boat though. They’d remind each other to bring the screwdriver so they could get it out. It’s gotta be a big boat, too big for them to haul back and forth. But they drive there for a few days, so it can’t be too far.”</p><p>Mike and Ed shared a look.</p><p>Mike said, “That’s good, kid. We can use that.”</p><p>The old men started drinking whiskey while Jesse crumpled up paper and made a little tower out of kindling and twigs. It lit up easily and he added the smaller of the logs.</p><p>“We need sticks to cook the hot dogs on?” Jesse asked.</p><p>They decided each man would be responsible for his own stick. Ed and Mike took turns with Ed’s pocket knife and got two nice aspen sticks. When it was Jesse’s turn with the knife he cut off a part of a good pine branch and sharpened the tip. </p><p>Jesse opened the can of chili while the old guys complained about the hard seats. </p><p>“How’d you two meet?” Jesse asked. </p><p>“Vietnam,” Mike said, “You can set that can right at the edge of the fire. It’ll warm up.”</p><p>Jesse used the back end of his hotdog stick to make a flat spot to set the can. </p><p>Mike handed Jesse a mug and held out the whiskey as an offer.</p><p>Jesse nodded and Mike poured him some. </p><p>There was still an hour of daylight, and maybe half an hour till the flames died down to coals. The label burned off the chili can and Jesse moved it back a bit, using his sweatshirt sleeve as a pot holder. It smelled good already.</p><p>Ed complimented him, “You look good kid. You’ve put on some weight; got your color back.” </p><p>Jesse swallowed and said, “Thanks.”</p><p>Mike hadn’t asked any questions about Jesse’s time, but now he asked, “Did you get any sunshine there?”</p><p>“No,” Jesse answered.</p><p>Mike figured he didn’t want to talk about it, so he started bothering Ed. “Say, Ed, did you see Tina when you were in Albuquerque?”</p><p>Ed smiled. “I did.”</p><p>“What’d you two do?”</p><p>“A gentleman never tells.”</p><p>Jesse laughed.</p><p>Mike hardly smiled. “You know that’s not what I meant.”</p><p>Ed was smiling. “We went to her grandson’s baseball game.”</p><p>Mike asked, “Who won?”</p><p>“Who cares?”</p><p>“I do.”</p><p>Ed shared, “Her grandson spent the game picking his nose in the waaay outfield, but his team still won. There are you entertained?”</p><p>Mike said, “No.”</p><p>----</p><p>The sun was shinning so Jesse was out on the deck.</p><p>Mike came out and sat with him. “I imagine you don’t like surprises.” </p><p>Jesse looked scared. </p><p>“It’s nothing bad. Just, Ed was thinking . . . we’ve been talking about how maybe a dog would be good for you.” </p><p>“Like a puppy or something?”</p><p>“Or maybe a slightly older dog. One that’s more stable. Ed says there are Seeing Eye dogs that don’t pass the test, so they can’t work. They’re trained and all, but maybe not focused enough, too friendly. There’s a place in Boulder.” Mike added, “If you think it’s a good idea.”</p><p>Jesse looked out at the view of trees, and then nodded at Mike, “Yeah. Ed would allow it in here?”</p><p>Mike smiled. “Yeah. He’s actually gonna be here with her in an hour. I just wanted to present it like you had a say in the matter.”</p>
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